Victim / radiation / in £50m drugs / cancer / is denied

2. DOGS’ dinners are going gourmet as owners feed them takeaways, a survey revealed yesterday.

feed / gourment / dogs / as owners / takeaways / food / get / them

3. A FIREBALL caused by a gas explosion ripped through a city’s streets yesterday, leaving at least six...

San Francisco / dead / six / leaves / fireball / in

4. A TODDLER suffered horrific injuries and needed 200 stitches in his face after being savaged by his...

leaves / needing / sheepdog / 200/ attack / stitches / boy

5. WHEN an elephant decides to sit on you, it’s just as well that you’re an elephant yourself, or you...

takes / as a seat / elephant / young / his friend

6. GRINNING and swaggering, the young man who helped kill schoolboy Damilola Taylor enjoys his freedom...

killer/ as / from / grins / Damilola Taylor / jail / walks free

Unit 5 feature articles: essence, structure, lexical means, stylictic properties

A feature story differs from a straight news story in one respect – its intent. A news story provides information about an event, idea or situation. The feature does a bit more – it may also interpret news, add depth and colour to a story, instruct or entertain.

It tends to be longer than news articles. Feature articles often begin with a hook that is meant to catch the reader’s attention, and go on to describe interesting aspects of the topic under consideration without necessarily following the “inverted pyramid” structure. As a feature article does not address an immediately topical subject as would be expected of a news story, it is usually considerably longer, and may well present an opinionated view.

Features are commonly seen in newspaper supplements and magazines.

A feature story falls into the following categories:

- colour piece – describing a scene and throw light on its theme(s);

- behind the scenes (similar to the above, but with the journalist a part of events);

- in disguise (pretending to be another person);

- interview;

- profile (an examination of a particular person. Will often include an interview);

- factbox or chronology (a simple list of facts, perhaps in date order);

- backgrounder (or a history of an extended factbox);

- full texts (extracts from books or transcripts of interviews);

- my testimony (a first-person report of some kind);

- analysis (an examination of the reasons behind an event);

- vox pop (or expert roundup – a selection of views from members of the public or experts);

- opinion poll;

- review.

The feature article includes an introduction, a body and a conclusion.

The introduction is the most important part which entices the reader, hooks him in. Quiet often it uses emotion, quotations, questions, descriptions.

The body of the article keeps a promise or answers any questions raised in the introduction. Facts in the piece can be only interpreted and embroidered but not fudged.

The conclusion helps the reader remember the story by using a strong punchline.

The feature story employs the following linguistic means:

- wide use of active voices and present tenses;

- clichés and sentimental statements are usually avoided, especially at the end of the piece;

- direct quotes are often used;

- lengthy, complex paragraphs are usually avoided.

As the feature focuses on human interest the feeling and emotion are put into the article. Such articles concentrate on persuading, evaluating, observing or evoking emotion, they are usually emotionally coloured as they tend to appraise, convince and influence.

The following stylistic tropes are employed in features:

- epithets (the long and bloody road to peace; unflattering photographs);

- metaphors (This confrontation marked the birth of the Provisional IRA; the death of New Labour);

- metonymy (the door of No 10; No 10 policy unit);

- similes (a thin mafioso moustache; resembling less the Iron Lady than Miranda Richardson’s Elizabeth I in Blackadder; the marriage between Charles and Diana was based on a fantastical ideal, the relationship between the prince and Camilla has a much more earthy foundation);

- idioms (to be in stark contrast to something).